Further Adventures in Graduate Life

So, today, I had my interview(s) for the Doctor of Psychology program. It's interesting how everyone's psychopathology floats to the top in such stressful sitations. I am sure that mine does, too. Oddly enough, I did not suffer any undue anxiety about the interviews. It helps when you have already had some of the courses and you know a lot of the professors. I met some really cool people. I am more concerned that I will get in and be stuck with a bunch of uptight overachievers than I am about not getting in. How is that for paradox, and for making myself look like an uptight overachiever? (Achieves that purpose quite well, I think.)

About this having a blog thing, I've decided that it presents some interesting quandries for me. I desire the anonymity of being able to bitch about classmates and coworkers, clients, family, and inlaws, but realize that it wouldn't be a large leap for someone to figure out who I am. Especially considering that my hubby's blog is a lot more popular than mine, and he keeps pestering to link to me.

So, in honor of stream of consciousness, let's switch topics. I have been writing a paper on my approach and conceptualization of cases in therapy, and for some reason I feel the need to share an excerpt on psychodynamic theory and appraoches to therapy.

For some reason, it seems that communicating my emerging theory for formulation of cases must begin with my view of sin as a Christian. Sin, this three letter “dirty” word in our society, is at the root of all suffering, pain, and problems of living. While personal responsibility for sin cannot be denied and must be addressed, this is not the sin of which I write. No, it is the state of sin in which we live, the force of sin that influences every moment of human existence that is integral to understanding the problems that clients present.
An object lesson best communicates what I mean by the “force of sin” in the lives of individuals. For a moment, consider a client named Mary. Let us say that Mary’s one purpose in life is to hold a rather large stone in her hand with her arm extended away from her body. Once Mary uncovers that this is her purpose, she could commit countless individual sins. She may decide never to pick up the stone, or at times pick it up only to set it down again. Mary could hold something other than the stone in her outstretched hand, or do things with the stone other than merely hold it. But, one thing is for certain, even if Mary picks up the stone and holds it outstretched, her arm will grow weary. She will constantly struggle against a force that pulls her arm and the stone it holds toward the ground. No matter how much she desires to hold up that stone, how dedicated she is to holding up the stone, or how good her intentions may be, gravity is constantly working to fatigue her and eventually she will fail. Sin is the gravity of all our lives.
It is because sin is the pervasive force of all humankind, that I feel psychodynamic approaches are the primary means by which I conceptualize cases. Psychodynamic theory allows for the losses that we all invariably suffer. It begins in childhood when, from the moment of birth, we must learn to mourn the loss of the perfect parent or the perfect union with a parent. For if even our parents, the formative relationships to who we are to become, are fallen from the start, how do we expect the rest of humankind to be any less fallen?
The pain evident in birth continues throughout life. An empathic failure here, a rejection there, an unmet need or desire elsewhere, all lead to a continued need to mourn the losses of living in an existence that is never free from the force of sin. But, part and parcel with falleness comes the reality that losses are often ignored, viewed as weakness, or treated in other damaging ways. Sometimes the force of sin becomes so pervasive that we might even force others to create patterns of relating that would never occur otherwise. At its worst, the gravity of sin makes an us capable of distorting God and incapable of receiving His grace and forgiveness for our state of sin.
Therefore, in treatment, it becomes crucial to enable clients to identify and mourn losses. Whether or not a client acknowledges that these losses are the result of sinfulness is not the point. Rather, facilitating the process of loss, bereavement, and recovery, can facilitate the relief of guilt, the acceptance of grace, and instill hope that true change can be made. I feel that, except in rare cases, a clinician’s main purpose is to help a client clarify losses, acknowledge and mourn those losses, and to deal with what really exists in the place of hoped for perfection. It is only then that a client may stop desperately repeating the same unhealthy patterns of relating and receiving the same deflating results.

Enjoy...until next time....